Trend Reports: Petal Pushers

Etro shirt, Polo jeans, A.P.C. moccasins

On paper it shouldn't work: scrunched-up fabric flowers as a riff on tux-shirt ruffles? A coffee-stain look that comes from, well, actual coffee stains? Yet in the hands of Kean Etro, such ingredients somehow translate to wearability. Pair the shirt with some faded jeans from Polo and some A.P.C. mocs for a look that evokes Easy Rider–era Dennis Hopper. (Or, for a look that screams Easy Rider–era Dennis Hopper, throw in a few tabs of acid and a handful of assorted stimulants.)

For every flower child who wanted to confront the Man, there were plenty who just wanted to avoid him, preferably in style and comfort, and if at all possible in a house that resembled a womb. Drug-influenced architecture may not sound like the best (or most structurally sound) idea, but, as New York Times writer Alastair Gordon shows here, the geodesic domes and communes of the sixties ended up having a far-reaching influence on architecture, even as they saddled a generation of self-styled radicals with their first mortgage.

Despite the VW camper van's hippie connotations, the things tended to be gas-guzzlers. By contrast, the new Space Up! van—inspired by the Bug as well as the original camper—is emissions-free, running on a high-temperature fuel cell and an electric motor (combined, they give you a range of 220 miles). There's even an optional solar panel for the roof. Once production starts (at the end of the decade), expect to see plenty of these at Burning Man—or your local Whole Foods parking lot.

Photo: Courtesy of VW

Earnest Sewn Delu jeans

Jeans from Earnest Sewn's new limited-edition line have been abused to within an inch of their lives, and often have patches to hide the worst scars. Because they've been brutalized by hand, however, they end up looking far more naturally distressed than other denims with their bogus-looking whiskers and chemical treatments. In other words, they'll make you look like you haven't worked in years—not that you could afford them if that were true.

AEC&S by Earnest Sewn, $395, available at Barneys NY, (212) 826-8900

Photo: Chris Astley

Alexander McQueen, spring 2008

Love may well be the answer, but McQueen leaves open-ended what exactly the question was.

Photo: Marcio Madeira

Howlin Rain

Although Persistent Fog might be a more honest name for a band from the Bay Area, bearded five-piece Howlin Rain deserves its moniker, thanks to the group's Southern-fried sound and freewheeling live shows. And, come March 4, they make their debut on American Recordings, the label run by Rick Rubin, a guy who knows a thing or two about spotting talent (not to mention hippie-flavored style).

Magnificent Fiend out March 4

Photo: Courtesy of Birdman Records

Gilded Age sweater, Etro shorts

Your beach ensemble should look casual, but that doesn't mean you want scratchy fabric next to your skin like some kind of, well, hippie. And once you're gathered around the post-surf bonfire, your fellow travelers may even mistake this Gilded Age sweater for rough-hewn linen. You'll know it's made of the softest cashmere, which should please any hippie chicks that enlist your help in keeping snug.

If you want to freak out the squares, try one of Ksubi's new tees on for size. The combination of graphics and tie-dye makes for some pretty trippy stuff, especially when you realize that the mushrooms you had for dinner weren't shiitakes. It's a natural high, though—the shirts are made from 100% silk. Far out.

Brain Machine, $408, available at Ksubi, 219C Mulberry St., NYC; Ice Crystals, $408, available at Barneys New York

Photo: Chris Astley

Comme des Garçons spring 2008

Rei Kawakubo's spring collection didn't feature a splash of color so much as a deluge. Which might explain the wet look.

Photo: Marcio Madeira

Chicago 10

Turns out the revolution will be televised (once it's been shown in theaters and out on DVD for a few months). To tell the story of the protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, writer/director Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture, Nimrod Nation) artfully blends archival footage with animation. You might say the result is as radical as his subjects.

Chicago 10, in theaters February 29

Photo: Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Phillip Lim for Tatami Birkenstock

In Phillip Lim's hands, the Birk becomes more ancient Rome than Haight-Ashbury. It also comes with a supple suede lining, though the anatomically correct cork footbed is unchanged: It encourages your toes to spread out into their natural positions when you've been wearing the shoes for a while. Bear in mind, though, that while your feet are spreading, so is their scent. If you're going underground for a while, bring a spare pair—after all, only Southern rappers and Bavarians are allowed to wear sandals with socks.

You know a resort's isolated when a mule is required to get there. Located south of Puerto Vallarta, Verana employs the beasts of burden not just for rustic effect or because of the winding paths leading up to it, but also as a sign of the place's eco-friendliness. Same goes for staff quarters. While guests can choose from a variety of luxurious rooms, the help resides in new "V houses," modular pods 16 feet off the ground with solar panels on the roof and compost toilets, which ensure that not even waste is wasted. V houses for guests are in the works, but for now you'll have to make do with plain old comfort—coupled with a hippie-inflected wardrobe that implies grave environmental concern.

Although the English are known for their love of gardening, it looks like Duckie Brown's Daniel Silver and Steven Cox were thinking along more tropical lines when they concocted these trousers. There's also a matching top, but when your pants are making a statement this bold, all your shirt needs to do is stay out of the way.

In his tenth novel, Peter Carey explores the dark side of the early-seventies protest movement, following a seven-year-old New Yorker called Che as he's forced to flee his Uptown home for a hippie commune in rural Australia. Once he arrives, peace and love are in short supply, and it turns out that calling their son "Che" was the least of his parents' sins. A bad trip but a good read.

You'll need some way of keeping sand out of your mouth during dust storms at Burning Man, and this silk scarf from Dries is a lot more stylish than a mask. The Belgian designer (who knows a thing or two about the genre) has done a range of colors and patterns for spring, all handmade in India (a country your average flower child knows a thing or two about).

This season, you could say that Domenico and Stefano found prints charming.

Photo: Marcio Madeira

Alex Turner and Miles Kane

Having borrowed ideas from Oasis in the past, Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner is aiming a little higher for his next record—to the Dark Side of the Moon. Turner, alongside Miles Kane of the Rascals, is working on a side project with a psychedelic slant and a heavy Pink Floyd influence. In true boho-rocker fashion, the duo even recorded most of the album in a French farmhouse.

Photo: Courtesy of Press Here Publicity

Gilded Age shirt, John Varvatos cardigan, Etro pants

Yes, it's possible to harness a little flower power without looking like a walking centerpiece. Etro's Polynesian-print trousers come in several muted hues, and the rough cotton makes them tougher than they look (though, admittedly, they don't look all that tough). A cardigan conveys a useful degree of seriousness, while the detailing suggests that your inner radical is just waiting to burst out (as soon as he has some vacation time).

It doesn't get much more hippie than camping out on an isolated stretch of beach. For those who like to do so while wearing designer clothing, there's the Port-a-bach, a beach house made from a repurposed shipping container that can be closed up and moved by truck, helicopter, or ship to any destination. A "bach," by the way, is a New Zealand term for a modest beach house. But these things can actually get quite luxurious, despite being made from something that probably used to house industrial waste.

Still in the concept stage—like nearly everything good in the cell phone universe—Nokia's Remade is a mobile phone built entirely from recycled materials, including rubber keys that used to be car tires and an exterior made from soda cans. Finally, a practical use for Vanilla Coke.

Photo: Courtesy of Nokia

Fendi runway

Silvia Venturini Fendi used global warming, recycling, and sustainability as inspiration for spring. As a result, leather played a (visibly) smaller role in the collection.

Photo: Marcio Madeira

The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants

Anything that costs less than $100, weighs seven pounds, and is full of drugs must be a bargain, and Christian Rätsch's tome is no exception. The German pharmacology expert's book features exhaustive analysis of more than 400 plants, including their capacity to get you high, and the likelihood that they'll kill you in the process. (Magic mushrooms: generally benign. Datura: not so much.)

The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants, $78.75, available from amazon.com

Just because you're rejecting polite society doesn't mean you should reject all its trappings—like quality tailoring, for example. This shirt from Dolce & Gabbana may look like it was henna-printed in Kerala, but the detailing and fit are strictly Milanese. Regarding the shorts: Yes, you could buy your own tudo-striped pants and cut them off, but wouldn't that be a bit like work?

On paper it shouldn't work: scrunched-up fabric flowers as a riff on tux-shirt ruffles? A coffee-stain look that comes from, well, actual coffee stains? Yet in the hands of Kean Etro, such ingredients somehow translate to wearability. Pair the shirt with some faded jeans from Polo and some A.P.C. mocs for a look that evokes Easy Rider–era Dennis Hopper. (Or, for a look that screams Easy Rider–era Dennis Hopper, throw in a few tabs of acid and a handful of assorted stimulants.)